HL Deb 27 October 1998 vol 593 cc209-10WA
Lord Hardy of Wath

asked Her Majesty's Government:

When they will respond to the reports by the UK Round Table on Sustainable Development on (a) Getting the Best out of Indicators and (b) Economic Regulators. [HL3593]

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions (Lord Whitty)

The Government have today published responses to these two reports by the UK Round Table on Sustainable Development.

Getting the Best out of Indicators has made a valuable contribution to the Government's development of a new set of indicators, as the report focused on strategic issues relating to their use and development and gave particular regard to policy and communication. The new government indicators will, for the first time, include economic and social aspects of sustainable development together with a small group of headline indicators. The full set of indicators will be launched early in the new year together with the revised UK Sustainable Development Strategy.

The report on economic regulators was considered very carefully in light of the consultation for 'A Fair Deal for Consumers' published by DTI in March. We are pleased to have been able to respond positively to many of the Round Table's recommendations—for instance, setting up a framework for regulation and issuing statutory guidance on the social and environmental objectives.

The Government value the work of the Round Table in helping to take forward the sustainable development agenda and we wish to express our gratitude to Sir Richard Southwood and the Round Table for their continued work.

We have placed copies of both the responses in the Library.